Dear Friends,
By now I hope you are aware of the exciting I'm thrilled to share news that DuraSpace and LYRASIS intend to merge their two non-profit organizations. The boards of each organization have unanimously affirmed their interest in pursuing a merger. The Jan. 25, 2019 press release is here. A FAQ with more detailed information can be found here. A Press Release and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) published this morning has more detailed information. These resources outline a what a merged organization could look like and how it could bring eight global, community-supported technology communities under one roof.
Until we have an opportunity to engage of a more personal level, I want to take this opportunity to personally explain to you, our valued DuraSpace members, some of the reasons why we are seeking to amplify our efforts and impact by merging with LYRASIS.share why I'm excited about the intent to merge. I feel a combined organization will have increased capacity to:
- Amplify our voice to a larger member base,
- Provide access to additional staff and investment dollars that will accelerate our work,
- Provide new benefits to members that will strengthen our projects and programs,
- Increase opportunities for product integration that will bolster community-supported products as viable end-to-end solutions and alternatives to proprietary products, and
- Provide more flexible supports and services to community-supported technology communities, making it easier to support small or start-up initiatives.
President of the DuraSpace Board of Directors, and Dean of University Libraries at Virginia Tech, Tyler Walters expressed his excitement about the intent to merge, saying, “Our efforts have always been aimed at amplifying our collective voicse to a larger member base around the world. The combined strength of our two organizations will multiply our ability to serve our growing community. Perhaps Tyler Walters, Dean, University Libraries, and Professor, Virginia Tech, and President, DuraSpace Board of Directors, says it best, “We are excited by the possibilities inherent in becoming one organization. There is great potential for open technology projects and their invested research institutions to experience more value creation, lower costs of doing business, and an invigorated environment to lead and innovate through this merged organization.”
The combined organization will have the ability to fulfill many long term needs expressed by our members:
- Increased access to staff and investment dollars to accelerate our work and build our momentum;
- improved member benefits to strengthen our products and services;
- increased opportunities for product integration that will bolster our OSS products as viable end-to-end solutions and alternatives to proprietary products;
- Flexible support to OSS/community-supported projects/programs based on need and revenue
I am in ongoing discussions with stakeholders regarding merger details, implications, the timeline for public communications, and opportunities for follow up. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss. Thank you As always, thank you for your continued support of our work on this and other initiatives aimed at providing enduring access to the world’s digital heritage.
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Our annual Member Summit will be held on April 10, 2019 in St. Louis. A reception, following the CNI Spring Member Meeting, will be held on April 9th. Invitations will be sent to representatives of each member organization the first week of February.
Where We'll Be (please update with upcoming engagements through April)
LDCX Fedora Workshop, Palo Alto, CA, March ?
DC Area Fedora User Group meeting, Washington, DC, March ?
VIVO Camp,
25-27, David Wilcox
DuraSpace Summit at CNI, St. Louis, MO, April 10, Erin Tripp, David Wilcox, Andrew Woods, Valorie Hollister, Carol Minton Morris, Michele Mennielli
DSpace Anwendertreffen, Bamberg, Germany, April 11-12, Michele Mennielli
euroCRIS Membership Meeting, Espoo/Helsinki, May 27-29, Michele Mennielli